


The Day Darcy Got a Call

by TheBrunetteWeasley



Series: Family Comes First [2]
Category: Hawkeye (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: AU, Avengers being avenging, F/M, Family, Gen, Grief, Minor Character Death (offscreen), Pre AoU, SHIP DARCY WITH ALL THE THINGS, TaserHawk - Freeform, former SHIELD Agent Darcy Lewis, non canon relationships, quickie wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-11
Updated: 2018-05-11
Packaged: 2019-05-05 06:03:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,617
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14611086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBrunetteWeasley/pseuds/TheBrunetteWeasley
Summary: Sitting in her office on the 74th floor of Stark Tower, Darcy's phone rings often. It's not usually Clint's sister in law, and as soon as she hears Laura's voice, she knows that they need to get back to Iowa. Fortunately, her boss is Pepper Potts, and her fiancé is an Avenger, so they make the trip to Iowa in more style than last time, even though the situation is just as bad as before.





	The Day Darcy Got a Call

**Author's Note:**

> This...was a long time coming. I had no intention of writing anything else, but I think this works for a series of oneshots. Comments are definitely appreciated.

The next few months flew buy in a whirlwind of movement and noise. Clint and Darcy had moved into the tower, and Darcy had started working in PR for the Avengers. Tony had come up with the idea of running the Avengers as a private security firm, and Darcy was using her degree to butter up governments about using them when their own army wouldn’t be enough, or when there was a job that needed little political interference. Mostly, she looked after people, making sure that they didn’t get into too much trouble. They’d all moved into the New York area, with Jane and Thor living on Stark’s land upstate so she could still do her work.

Darcy was staring at her computer, willing her fingers to write the press release announcing that Thor and Jane were engaged, so she could get it out quickly, but her head just wouldn’t concentrate. As she started to type it, yet again, her phone buzzed on the desk. The number was Laura and Barney’s farm, and she smiled, answering.

“Hey! How are you guys?” There was silence on the end of the line, before a sob was let out.

“Darcy…it’s Laura. They found Barney…he’s dead. Can you and Clint get out here?” She let out another cry, and Darcy’s heart felt like it was going to rip.

“We’ll be there as soon as we can be, Laura. We’ll help you guys out with everything.” The women said goodbye, and Darcy pounded her head on the table.

“Jarvis…where’s Clint?” She asked the AI, looking around her office.

“He’s in the kitchen, it looks like he’s attempting to make grilled cheese for you for lunch. Do you want me to let him know that you need him?” For some reason, the AI’s English accent made Darcy feel better, comforting her in a way she didn’t realise it would.

“No, I’ll go down to him. If he starts to make his way up here, tell him I’m coming down.” She switched on her out of office responder, and picked up the backpack she’d brought down that morning. She hurried down, taking the stairs the three flights down instead of waiting for the elevator. As she got into the kitchen, Clint was cutting two perfectly toasted grilled cheese sandwiches, and she could see bowls of tomato soup steaming up.

“Hey Darce, I was gonna bring you up lunch. ‘Sup?” He had a smile on his face, but could quickly see that Darcy wasn't smiling back at him. “What’s wrong?” He put the plate down, and wrapped his arms around her.

“Clint…Barney’s dead. The group he’d been infiltrating in Oregon found him. We need to go to Laura and the kids, ok?” Clint sagged for a moment, and Darcy held him up. His face went slack, and she could tell he didn’t believe her. The only thing that made him was that he knew that Darcy wouldn’t have lied to him, not about something like this.

“We need flights. What’re we doing? Are we driving?” He went to pick up his phone, but Jarvis spoke before he could.

“Mister Stark has a range of airplanes, and I have begun filing a flight plan to Fairfield Municipal Airport from LaGuardia, where you can take off in an hour or so. Would you like to pack a bag so that you can leave?” They nodded, and went upstairs in silence, packing a bag each. Darcy made sure to grab Clint’s suit bag, putting it in her suitcase. By the time they got back down to the common area, Tony and Pepper had arrived, looking at each of them oddly.

“You heading out then?” Tony asked, indicating towards the suitcases.

“Yeah. We need to go see family.” Darcy kept her voice low, and grasped Clint’s hand as they walked over to the elevator, using her free one to push the button.

“Jarvis told me. The plane’s ready to go, just let us know when you’ll be coming back. I’ve put you on extended family leave, Darcy. Take your time. Family’s important.” She gritted her teeth and attempted to smile, but it was difficult. Tony wasn’t as obtuse as he seemed, and nodded, turning away to busy himself as they left.

The trip to LaGuardia from Midtown was forty minutes in midday traffic, but they sat in the back of the car, holding hands. Darcy would never remember the trip from then on, just flashes of walking from the car to the private hangar, to getting on Tony Stark’s opulent plane and sitting beside Clint as they took off for Iowa.

It felt like they should have taken longer, but soon they were descending into Fairfield. There was a car rental place in Fairfield proper, and they got a cab into it. Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in a Prius, with Darcy taking the steering wheel and pointing them to Laura’s. She sped down roads that she’d become familiar with when she stayed there after the fall of SHIELD, and managed to get them there quicker than they should have. They pulled in, sitting in the stillness for a moment, before stepping out.

Cooper answered the door, his eyes red from crying. He saw Darcy, and grabbed her, huddling his face into her stomach. She kneeled, wrapping her arms around the boy as he sobbed.

“Mom’s upstairs and Lila’s crying and I can’t help her and I can’t stop crying Auntie Darcy…w…why c..can’t I stop crying?” He spoke quickly through his sobs, and Darcy barely heard him.

“It’s ok, Cooper. Your uncle Clint and I are here, and we’re going to help you, ok? Let me stand up and we can have a cuddle, while Clint checks on your mom and Lila, ok?” She stood, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and bringing him to the couch, lifting him onto her lap as if he was a toddler, not an eight year old. He wrapped his arms around her neck and burrowed, as she rocked and soothed him. A raised eyebrow made Clint realise what he needed to do, and he went upstairs.

Lila was in her room, and from what he could see, she’d cried herself out. Clint put the comforter over her, and walked over to Laura and Barney’s room. He knocked once, before walking in. Laura was sitting there, staring into space, and she startled as Clint came in.

“Hey Laura,” he said, keeping his voice low. Once he poke, it was like a spell had been broken and tears started streaming down Laura’s face.

“S…seeing you here. And you’re not him…Christ Clint, what am I supposed to do? I’m six months pregnant with our third right now.” She blurted, wiping her eyes as she cried, but not being able to keep up with the tears.

“You’re going to get something to eat. And then you’re going to sit downstairs with your family, and we’re going to plan a funeral. And you’ll have Darcy and I here for as long as you need us. We’re on indefinite leave, Stark’s orders.” Laura had a watery smile at that, her red rimmed eyes almost reflecting it.

“I’m gonna head down and get something for dinner. I’ll see you downstairs in a few?”

Clint closed the door softly, and went downstairs. Darcy was still holding Cooper, his arms wrapped around her, but his sobs had stopped as she rocked him, her hands patting his head, He was still holding on, but he was calmer, less stressed than he’d been when they’d arrived. Darcy smiled at Clint from over Cooper’s head, and Clint smiled back, going into the kitchen.

There was minced beef in the fridge, and Clint found a couple of jars of marinara sauce in a cupboard. He cooked the pasta, and made what would pass for edible. Laura came down the stairs, and he passed her a bowl. She stared at it for a moment, but when she looked up and saw Clint’s face, she started taking small bites. Darcy arrived out shortly after, having tucked Cooper up on the couch to sleep.

“You cooked? I’m impressed.” She said, taking the bowl that was handed to her and almost inhaling the contents. The three adults sat in silence eating, and once the bowls were empty, Clint broke it.

“Laura, we’ve got to make plans. Do you know what you want for the funeral? Or do you want me to organise it?” She looked up at Clint, the realisation setting in that they had to plan everything dawning on her face.

“Umm…I know Barney gave me a just in case letter. I need to check what’s in it, I think he’s got plans. You know him, he’d have contingency after contingency for our lives. I need to check my dresser.” She walked out, not saying a word as she left. Clint looked down at the table, feeling older than his forty years. He put his head in his hands and sighed. Darcy stood, and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He smiled at her, and turned his head to kiss her cheek.

“I love you. You know that, right? And when this is done, we’re going to Iowa City and making everything official. I want us to have that.” His words were low, but Darcy smiled at him as their meaning sunk into her.

“My mama will kill me for eloping, but I agree. The day after the funeral we can get married. I want that.” Her twang came out slightly when she said ‘mama’, but otherwise her voice was flat. They stayed like that, revelling in the closeness that they were able to still have, before separating when Laura came down.

“Here’s the letter Barney had for me, for if he died and we had his body. He’s got everything decided here.” She brandished the sheet of paper to Darcy, who smoothed it out and placed it for her and Clint to read.

_Laura,_

_If you’re reading this, the second worst circumstance has happened. I’m dead, and you’ve got a body to bury. The first thing I need to say baby is I’m so sorry for this. I love you and the kids with my entire heart, but I needed to do this. I needed to get Trickshot down, and I just hope that I got that son of a bitch before he got me._

_I’ve already started making arrangements, so you shouldn’t need to worry about anything. There’s a safe deposit box in the Mount Pleasant bank, it’s got the deeds to the house and everything in it. There’s also my life assurance policy, you and the kids won’t go without, I promise._

_I’ve made arrangements with Jim Taylor in town too. He knows the kind of casket I want - mahogany for the funeral - and the type of funeral I want. Don’t do a full service for me, Laura. You know that’s not our style. I want to be cremated, and put into an urn of your choosing. You don’t have to choose it yet, not for a while. Pick something pretty for me._

_I want you to scatter half my ashes on the farm. Put the rest into fireworks, and light me up on Fourth of July. I want you and the kids to smile lighting them, and watch me go up to the stars._

_The safe deposit box has a couple of letters in it. There’s three for Cooper - his eighteenth birthday, his twenty first birthday, and his wedding day. Tell Clint he’s to take Cooper for his first legal beer, and to not be an ass if he has one before it, because I will always know Clint’s dirty little secrets. There’s three for Lila as well, for the same days._

_Please tell the kids that I will forever love them. Their daddy’s going to look down on them (or look up, but tell them I’m looking down), and I’m gonna do my best to be their guardian angel._

_My last wish for you, Laura, is to be happy. Don’t let my death scar you forever, and don’t let me cause you to stop loving. Your big heart is what attracted me to you, and it’s one of your best features. Fall in love again. Get married, if you want. Don’t feel that you have to live a life married to a ghost. We both know that it’s not any way to live a life._

_Again, I love you. I will always love you. Growing up I never believed in soulmates, and I never thought I’d find someone to love me for who I am. But I was wrong. You made me believe in love with that big heart, and you gave me two more reasons to realise that the world is a beautiful place. Don’t let them be sad for too long. I want them to be happy._

_I’m forever yours,_

_Barney_

Darcy held back her tears as she read his letter, but Clint let his flow, wrapping Darcy’s hands with his own. Laura was crying too, and seeing the two crying allowed Darcy to cry. She removed one hand from Clint’s grasp, and wiped her eyes, standing up straight with her hands on his shoulders.

“I’m going to get the kids up and fed, or they won’t sleep tonight. Then I’ll ring Jim Taylor, tell him what’s happened, and we’ll get everything sorted. Laura, who’s your preacher?”

Laura stood still for a moment, before speaking. “Reverend Helen Chambers. Tell Jim to get in touch with her to arrange the funeral. Barney’s in the morgue at the moment, Jim will be able to collect him there…is three days enough notice?” She asked at the air, staring out the kitchen window.

“I have a Stark black card, I can make it enough notice. I’ll get in touch, and I’ll let you know what’ll happen. Go to bed, Laura. Clint, will you make up our bed in the attic please?” She nudged her fiancé with her hip, and he awoke from the stupor he was in.

“Going now. I’ll bring Lila down, so you can feed the kids together.”

True to his word, Clint got Lila up and awake, and Darcy doled out food to the kids. She tried to keep the conversation light, but Cooper had one question.

“Aunt Darcy? Why isn’t Daddy going to come home again?” Darcy dropped the pot that she was washing, landing with a splash in the sink. She decided to just run on instinct, instead of calling Laura.

“You know how your dad would go on trips? And sometimes they’d take a long time?”

“Yeah. He went on biz-niss trips,” Lila chimed in.

“Exactly. When your dad was on a trip, he got sick. And he came home, but he got sicker. It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes Dads can get really sick, and then they go up to God in Heaven. So your dad is looking down right now. You know when you see the sun rays coming through clouds?”

Cooper nodded, but Lila looked confused. Darcy pointed out the window at the sun rays streaming through. “See them?”

Lila nodded her comprehension at the image.

“They’re sun rays. Some people say that it’s God and people up there saying hello to the people down here. So if you ever see them, you can give a little wave, and your Daddy will see them. Do you want to wave now?” She asked. They nodded again, and Darcy brought them both outside, where the summer sun was streaming.

“Wave up, kids!” She said, watching as they waved up. Lila smiled, a stray tear escaping her eye, but mostly dry eyed.They waved for a minute, before she brought them back in.

“It’s seven-thirty guys. If you go get pjs on, I’m going to put Shrek on for a movie night before bed time. How’s that?” Two sets of feet raced up the stairs to get ready, their caretaker’s feet dragging behind them. Laura was watching them go to their rooms from her doorway, and ruffled Cooper’s hair as he ran past her.

“I heard you saying that. You just did the hardest part of parenting them, without batting an eyelid. And they understand a lil more. Darcy…I can’t thank you for this.” Darcy opened her arms at Laura’s words, and wrapped her in a hug.

“You don’t need to. We’re family. And family looks after each other.”

The next two days sped by for Darcy. Neighbours and friends kept coming in and out of the house, and she played hostess for all of them, smiling politely and serving coffee. Every casserole and pie that was delivered was carefully wrapped in foil, and labeled. The casseroles all went into the freezer, for when they’d need food after the funeral. Darcy, along with the parents of Lila and Cooper’s best friends, made sandwiches each night, to fill the visitors for the next day. 

Thursday morning dawned bright, and she dressed, putting on her black dress, with a pair of leggings and some boots. By the time Lila - the earliest riser of the kids - came down, there were blueberry pancakes sitting keeping warm, and some syrup was on the table.

“Auntie Darcy? What’s this for?” Lila asked, her face widening as she took in the spread that Darcy had put on.

“Well, today’s gonna be hard. So I thought that we'd all have a really tasty breakfast, to get us through it. How does that sound?” Lila smiled, sniffing as she smelled the bacon that was cooking.

“Bacon too?” Her eyes went wide at the scent.

“If you go upstairs and tell your brother and your Uncle to get out of bed, I’ll make sure to have a super crispy piece. Just for you.”Lila wriggled off her seat, running upstairs. Ten minutes later, there were four people around the table, sharing food. Laura came down shortly after, and a watery smile appeared on her face, when Darcy handed her the plate that they’d put together - a face, with blueberries for eyes on a pancake face, with bacon hair and a syrup smile. They ate, before Lila and Cooper were sent upstairs to get ready. Darcy cleared the dishes, before putting her makeup on, and fixing her hair back. She went up, to check on everyone. Clint was sitting on their bed, his tie in his hands, tears rolling down his cheeks as he looked at it.

“Babe…are you ok?”

“No.” His head dropped, and his shoulders shook as he kept his sob quiet. Darcy sat beside him, and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him into her.

“Darce, I thought it’d be me first. I never thought it’d be him first. And now I just feel like I’ve lost a limb. What do I do?” He asked, wiping tears away from his eyes.

“We get through today. Then tomorrow. Then the next one, and it’ll suck. But we can stay here for as long as we need. And tomorrow, you and I are going into Iowa City, and we’re gonna pay for the license. Then on Tuesday, we’re getting married. And we’re gonna keep going with it, ok? I’m going to be here for you, through it all.”

Clint kissed her, softly, before leaning his head against hers. Their fingers interlinked, and they squeezed, relishing being close. Darcy untangled them after a moment, and pulled his tie from the other hand. She tied the tie on him, straightening and using the tie pin that Phil had left him. Clint stood, kissed her again, and their hands joined as they got the kids ready.

By nine, everyone was ready to leave, and they all got into the car. Darcy drove them into Mount Pleasant, and they arrived at the church, where a small crowd had gathered. Her plan was to sit in the second row, right behind Clint, Laura and the kids, but Clint pushed her in ahead of him, holding her hand as she got in. Lila held her other one, and they followed along with the service. The worst part for her was the eulogy, as Clint stood up and read from the speech he’d written, outlining how his brother had looked after him, no matter what, and that he’d do the same for Barney’s family to repay the favour for his entire life. It felt like the whole church was crying, and Darcy let the tears flow down her face, praying her waterproof mascara was holding up.

Finally, the service ended, and everyone placed a flower on Barney’s coffin, waiting for it to be taken by the undertaker to the crematorium. Everyone ended up going to the local hotel, and there was food laid out. Darcy and Clint ran interference for Laura, smiling and greeting everyone in her place. Everyone was too polite to mention it, but there was an undercurrent of pity running through the event.

Laura left early, bringing the kids home, and Darcy and Clint kept the guests occupied until they all trickled away. By late afternoon, it was the two of them, and two of the guys on the police force who’d worked with Barney left. Darcy listened as they traded stories of Barney, registering when Clint was sanitising their childhood for public consumption, and when he was telling the truth.

The sun was beginning to dip as they left the hotel, hand in hand. Nick, one of the cops, offered them a ride back to Laura’s, and they took it. The chit chat was light, and they were about to get out of the car at Laura’s when Nick stopped them.

“I know I don’t need to say this, but Barn was one of ours. We’ll keep an eye on Laura and the kids, but I wanted you to know that. I know you’ve got that fancy job with Stark in New York, and you do more for us up there than you could do here, so don’t worry about that.” He shook hands with Clint, and smiled at Darcy, before turning the car around and driving home.

Darcy and Clint stood on the porch, watching the car go down the drive, staring at the red lights getting smaller and smaller. When they’d disappeared, Clint finally leaned into Darcy, resting his head on her shorter shoulder.

“I need to go to bed and just hold you. Can we do that?” He asked, his voice low in her ear. Darcy decided not to answer him, but instead gripped his hand, and led him inside and up to their attic room. They lay in bed, dozing on and off, until the sun rose and they heard movement in the house.

Darcy was first down, and arrived to what looked like moderately organised chaos. Cooper was stirring something on the stove, standing on the step that Laura kept to reach. She could smell bacon and eggs, and the counter had eggshells and plastic wrap on it.

“What are you doing, Cooper Barton?” She asked, leaning against the door frame.

“You made breakfast yesterday, so I wanted to do it for you. Eggs are done!” He lifted the pan and poured the eggs into a bowl. They looked ok to eat, and Darcy smiled at him.

“Good job, kiddo. Now get cleared up, ok?” It didn’t take long for everything to be cleared away, and everyone to sit around the table. Darcy and Clint kept their legs together as they ate, and a smile came over Clint’s face.

“Darce and I are going to Iowa City today, will you come along?” Cooper and Lila lit up at the thoughts, but Laura looked dejected.

“Take the kids, but I’m not gonna go. They need a day out.” She said, her smile not reaching her eyes. Darcy knew she needed a day to mourn and not be a mother, but the day after the funeral was not the day for it.

“Laura, I really need you to come. If you’re not there, who am I gonna have standing with me on my side? Clint’s got Cooper, and I’m not gonna make Lila choose, but I’d like to have you there as a witness for us.” Darcy said her words carefully, and watched as Laura’s face turned from exhaustion to happiness for both of them.

“Why did you not say that already, Birdbrain?” She gave a death stare to Clint, who smiled in response.

“I have to rag on my sister a little bit, right? We’ve an appointment for two-thirty, so we need to get moving. Be ready in an hour, ok?”

The drive to Iowa City was quiet, taking just over an hour. Darcy, Laura and Lila left the guys to get ready, Laura dragging Darcy to a hair salon she knew was good. Two hours later, they were ready for the ceremony. Darcy had her hair pulled back and curled, and she was wearing a white dress they’d found in Target. Lila handed her a bouquet of flowers that were also from Target and they went in. Clint had cleaned up, in slacks and a clean flannel. Natasha was standing beside him, and she came and wrapped Darcy in a hug.

“Tony is pissed he’s missing this, he’s promised a party when you’re back in New York,” she hissed, but her eyes were gentle and she smiled broadly. They walked over to stand together, and Clint took her hand.

“Barton marriage?” A woman popped her head out, and they walked in together. If you asked Darcy what her marriage ceremony was like, she wouldn’t have remembered. She remembered saying “I do”, and she remembered the feel of the cool metal sliding onto her finger. The rest was a complete blur from start to finish. They left the room in City Hall, Clint and Darcy holding hands as they walked out to a restaurant, before driving back to the house, Tasha in the back of the people carrier with the kids.

The plan was for the next few days to be quiet, but Clint’s phone chirped the unmistakable Avengers tone the next morning, waking them both from a peaceful sleep.

“Barton.”

“Clint, I hate dragging you away from your family right now, but there’s a Hydra base we found in Sokovia, and there’s a good chance it’s got the tesseract there. We need you and Natasha there.” Tony’s voice was firm, and gave no space for dissent.

“Ok, when’re we flying in?”

“Plane’s in Fairfield from dropping Tasha, if you can get there in an hour or so? And bring Darce, we need the diplomatic help on this one.”

“Got it, see you in a bit.”

Clint woke Darcy and explained the situation, then dressed and told Tasha. By the time he returned, Darcy had packed their things, leaving the two duffle bags sitting beside the door for him to take. There was cereal on the table, and they ate quickly as their family came down. Laura’s eyes flashed, knowing there was a kid-unfriendly version that wasn’t going to be answered,

There were hugs and kisses, and a cuddle from Cooper to Darcy that ended with a whispered promise of face timing when they were back from the mission, and a trip to Stark Tower to visit her and Clint in their apartment. They all got back into the rented Prius and drove, making it in just over the hour they said would take. They buckled in, and waited for the jet to take off, mentally planning what would happen.


End file.
